If you are visiting Drake Bay, then you are in for a real Costa Rican adventure. Not only is this remote destination in Costa Rica full of wildlife, nature, beaches and wild jungle, it is also an adventure to get there.
If you are driving to Drake Bay instead of flying or taking the boat from Sierpe, then here is our guide to driving to Drake Bay.
In this driving to Drake Bay guide, you will find the BEST route for Drake Bay as well as a map, a video, photos and our recommendation if you need a 4×4 for Drake Bay or not.
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Best Route to Drake Bay (No River Crossings)
Whether you are driving from Juan Santamaria International Airport (San Jose International Airport), Sierpe, Golfito, or another destination in Costa Rica, the best route to take for Drake Bay: Route 2, Route 245, and then the inside road via Rincon through Rancho Quemado to Agujitas de Drake Bay. This route does not have ANY river crossings.
It has paved and unpaved sections and goes on two major highways (Route 2 and Route 245) for most of it. The section of concern is the inside road when you turn off Route 245 towards inland.
Is the Road Paved to Drake Bay?
The route to Drake Bay is paved on the major highways such as Route 2 and Route 245. However, once you turn inland at Rincon, it becomes unpaved all the way to Drake Bay, with only a few short concrete sections. The unpaved sections has some massive potholes and gravel hilly roads.
The unpaved section is about 28 kilometers or 17 miles. It might take you around 1.5 – 2 hours to drive this, depending on how slow you drive and how the weather is. There aren’t many cars on this route at least, so you do not have to worry about traffic or getting tailgated.
Is a 4×4 Required for Driving to Drake Bay?
The big question for those driving to Drake Bay is if a 4×4 is required. The mentioned route above does not absolutely require a 4×4. In dry season, you can get there in a high clearance 4×2 SUV. Your car does need to have higher clearance than a sedan.
We do not recommend driving to Drake Bay in a sedan.
We saw one sedan during our drive to Drake Bay but it was driven by a local who was clearly very familiar with the area as he was on the phone while he was driving, not paying too much attention to the potholes.
If you are visiting during peak rainy season months such as September, October and November and the transition month of December, then we highly recommend a 4×4.
Dry season in Costa Rica is approximately December to April, rainy season is May to November. However, as Drake Bay is in the rainforests of the South Pacific, it may rain even during dry season.
Read more about Costa Rica weather here.
Need to rent a car? Check our renting a car in Costa Rica guide and get our Costa Rica car rental discount and freebies!
Ideal cars for driving to Drake Bay is Suzuki Vitara 4wd, Mitsubishi ASX 4wd, Hyundai Tucson, Mitsuibishi Montero Sport, Toyota Rush, Toyota Prado, Toyota Rav4, Suzuki Grand Vitara, Toyota Hilux, Isuzu Dmax, Mitsuibishi L200, Toyota Fortuner, Hyundai Palisade, Chevrolet Trailblazer, Ford Explorer.
A high clearance 4×2 SUV is like a Hyundai Creta/Venue.
Drake Bay Driving Time
From San Jose International Airport, the drive to Drake Bay is ~358 km (223 miles). Although Google Maps says it’s about a 7 hour drive, expect it to be at least 8.5 hours minimum.
We do not recommend to drive this route in one day at all, especially the day you land in Costa Rica.
It is better to break up the drive halfway, you can stop in Manuel Antonio, Quepos, Dominical, Uvita, Ojochal , Palmar Norte or Sierpe for the night.
Remember it gets dark by 6 PM everyday in Costa Rica and we do not recommend driving long routes 2 hours+ at night.
There is always a lot of traffic around the airport area and then you will want to account for bathroom and food stops. Furthermore, there are always possibilities of delays like strikes and accidents.
Then when you get to the unpaved section, you will probably be driving on average 25 kmph which is around 15 mph (or even slower to avoid the pot holes). On the paved highways, you’ll probably average 80 kmph (50 mph).
From Sierpe, Google Maps says it is about 3 hours to Agujitas de Drake. It took us around 3.5 hours with one stop. Always add at least 1 hour to whatever your GPS says and expect longer for cross country routes.
Get more Costa Rica driving tips here.
Map of the Driving Route to Drake Bay
Below is our map of the driving route to Drake Bay from Sierpe and Juan Santamaria International Airport. This also includes our recommended stops for food, views, gas and supermarkets.
On mobile, use two fingers to move around. It is best if you open this map in Google Maps and you can save it.
Using GPS for Drake Bay
We highly recommend you to use a GPS for Drake Bay. Although there are some road signs, there aren’t a ton of very obvious ones.
We recommend to use Waze, the most widely used navigational app in Costa Rica. Google Maps works as well. For your destination, enter the name of your hotel. If you will not have data on your phone, then download the Google Maps route offline before you leave.
However, we recommend you to get either a prepaid SIM card or an international data plan so that you can stay connected during your trip.
IMPORTANT: If you are driving from Sierpe, do NOT take the default route Google Maps suggests you which is via a river crossing right in Sierpe. You should drive back out of Sierpe to Palmar Sur and then turn right onto Route 2.
The Drive to Drake Bay in Photos
Below we will talk about what the drive to Drake Bay is like. There will be lots of photos so you can exactly what the road is like.
Route 2 to Chacarita ~30 minutes
If you are coming from the North, then you will turn right from Route 34 (Costanera Sur Highway) onto Route 2 at Palmar Norte. Both highways, Route 34 and Route 2 are fully paved from San Jose to Palmar Norte (though one lane per direction).
If you are coming from Sierpe, the road from Sierpe to Route 2 is not paved but it is flat, so no 4×4 required from Sierpe. If you are coming from Golfito, you will drive north on Route 2 to get to CHacarita.
Once you turn right onto Route 2 from Route 34 at Palmar Norte, you will cross a big bridge across the Terraba River. From Palmar Norte, it is 33 kilometers (20 miles) to the next turn, Chacarita onto Route 245, approximately a 30 minute drive.
Chacarita Turn Onto Route 245 ~1 hour
Here at Chacarita, we recommend to fill up your gas tank at the station. It is right on the corner, you can’t miss it. You can also use the bathroom or get some snacks at the mini market.
Then after turning onto Route 245, you will drive 45 kilometers (28 miles) to the next turn in Rincon de Osa.
This part of the drive from Route 245 to Rincon is beautiful, all on a well paved road. It has gorgeous views of the Golfo Dulce and some nice roadside local restaurants.
Route 245 is very nicely paved. Most of the highway has painted lines, some sections don’t have any. Not many cars so it’s a really enjoyable section to drive.
After about 50 minutes to an hour, you’ll start getting close to the next turn to Drake Bay at Rincon de Osa. This is a right turn and here is where it turns unpaved.
Rincon de Osa through Rancho Quemado to Agujitas de Drake Bay ~1.5 hours
This intersection is a large one with a very obvious turn. Turn right here.
From this turn, this road becomes unpaved almost immediately. It goes through an area called Rancho Quemado.
After this turn, it is about a 1.5 hour drive to Agujitas de Drake, 34 kilometers or 21 miles. This section is largely unpaved, with some short paved sections. The unpaved section has some big potholes and gravel hilly roads.
This is when you need to drive slowly and carefully, especially if you’re not used to driving on unpaved roads.
The drive on this section could take longer depending on how fast you drive and how the weather is.
Below are some photos of the road. It’s pretty bumpy this entire way but you get very short breaks when the road turns asphalted/concrete all of a sudden for a few meters. All rivers now have a bridge.
Soon you will start seeing more signs for hotels and tours. You will also pass the turn to go to Drake Bay Airport. If you have to continue to this area, the road is the same – unpaved and gravel.
Getting Into Agujitas de Drake
Agujitas de Drake is the main town and tourism hub of Drake Bay. It’s a teeny tiny little town along the main beach, Playa Colorada.
It is where most of the info centers, restaurants, hotels and tour operators are located.
All the roads are unpaved in this area so just keep following your GPS to your hotel.
And there you go! That is the drive to Drake Bay. The road is in MUCH better condition than it was a few years ago before they built the big bridges. This route has no river crossings and does not absolutely require a 4×4.
Don’t forget to get our Costa Rica car rental discount!
Important Things to Know About the Drive to Drake Bay
- There aren’t any gas stations in Agujitas de Drake. Fill your tank up at Chacarita.
- Drake Bay does not have an ATM. If you need cash, get it in your other destinations before going to Drake Bay.
- We recommend to get local currency, Costa Rican colones but USD can work. Make sure to have plenty of cash, as not all businesses accept credit/debit card in Drake Bay.
- There aren’t any street lights or lanes on the last section of the road from Rincon de Osa to Agujitas.
- We do not recommend driving this route at night.
- We had 4g with signal almost the entire time (our provider is Kolbi).
- Even though there isn’t traffic or a lot of cars, please drive slow. There are street dogs, cows and potholes to avoid.
Driving to Drake Bay Video
Below is a video of how to get to Drake Bay by taking the boat from Sierpe and by driving.
The video is set to start when the driving chapter begins.
Driving vs Boat vs Flying
Taking the boat from Sierpe is the most fun and secure way to get to Drake Bay. From Sierpe, the boat ride is about 1 hour to Drake Bay.
However, if you’re short on time, then flying is a great option. Sansa Air has flights to Drake Bay from San Jose and vice versa for around $175 USD per way.
Flying is not the cheapest, but it is the fastest. Flights are 50 minutes.
If you need to drive to Drake Bay, usually it is because you are coming to/from Pavones/Golfito/Puerto Jimenez so it doesn’t make sense to drive all the way to Sierpe to take the boat.
For those destinations, you also need a high clearance SUV or 4×4.
Drake Bay Itineraries
We have a 1 month Costa Rica itinerary that goes to Drake Bay. Drake Bay is the last destination so this itinerary returns the rental car in Sierpe and takes the boat to Drake Bay.
Driving to San Jose After Drake Bay
If you need to go to San Jose or Juan Santamaria International Airport after Drake Bay, we recommend to take Route 34 up the coast.
We don’t recommend taking Route 2. Even though navigation will say it is around the same time, we found Route 2 to take much longer due to the slow driving speed and more traffic.
Route 2 is an extremely curvy, foggy and narrow route when you are going up past San Isidro de El General and we ran into a ton more traffic on Route 2. Then getting into Cartago and going to San Jose took us forever as there is always traffic over there.
It’s a gorgeous drive but a bit more treacherous and long. Only take Route 2 if you plan to stay a night in San Isidro de El General or San Gerardo de Dota.
Route 34 is a straight, flat highway the whole way. Super easy to drive.
We hope this post was helpful for your if you are driving to Drake Bay!
Costa Rica Vacation Checklist
- First time to Costa Rica? Read our First Time in Costa Rica guide.
- Not sure how to move around Costa Rica? Read our How to Get Around Costa Rica guide to find the best transportation method for you.
- Click the link to get our detailed Costa Rica Packing List so you know what essential items to bring.
- Check our Costa Rica destinations map and Costa Rica restaurant map
- Do not forget to purchase Travel Insurance for your trip to Costa Rica.
- Stay connected by purchasing a prepaid SIM Card in Costa Rica.
- Save money with Mytanfeet Deals for tours and hotels and our Costa Rica Car Rental Discount.
Jay says
We are wondering if a day trip to Drake Bay or Corcovado NP from Bejuco is possible. We will have a 4wd rental car. But from the bit of research we have done it doesn’t look like that is the kind you can do without any overnight stays in the area?
Sammi says
Not really, just the drive from Playa Bejuco to Drake bay is like 4.5 hours one way and then once you’re there, there’s not much to do except just go to the beach or walk around the tiny town. Then it is not possible to visit Corcovado National Park either since every visitor has to go with a guide and tickets must be purchased in advance, and the three main national park stations like La Leona, Sirena and San pedrillo are not able to get to by car. I think the 4th one, El Tigre is possible by car, we haven’t been to that one so I’m not exactly sure the logistics of that one but it’ll still be like a 4 year drive per way. Better to find a place to stay in Drake Bay or Osa Peninsula for a few nights if you want to visit Corcovado National Park
Sofie says
Hi,
Very informative piece about traveling to Drake Bay. We are still trying to decide whether to leave our rental in Sierpe and take the boat or drive ourselves with a 4×4. Both seem an adventure.
One pro for driving might be not having to transport luggage with the boat. Seems difficult, since we plan to travel with a suitcase each. Only taking a backpack and leaving the suitcases in the car, is probably not the safest plan. Do you have any advice?
Thanks, Sofie
Sammi says
It’s not hard to travel on the boat with luggage since you only have one suitcase each, they’ll load it onto the boat for you and then you do need to figure out your transportation from the beach to your hotel once you arrive in Drake Bay but usually hotels can arrange a car to pick you up. Boat and driving are definitely an adventure, also check to see where your next destination is, if it would make sense for you to have your car right away or if you can just go back by boat to Sierpe without backtracking to your next destination.
Stephanie Hilpert says
Buenos Dias! Thank you for the excellent insight on Drake Bay and Corcovado. We would drive our own 4WD vehicle to the Osa Peninsula but are mostly interested in visiting Corcovado National Park with a guide. Is there anywhere relatively safe to leave your vehicle for an overnight in Corcovado? It seems like Drake Bay would be the best place to do so but not certain.
Sammi says
If you book a hotel in Drake, you can check with them to see if they have a parking lot you can leave your car while you overnight in Corcovado.
Diane says
Hi Sammi-
We are flying into Puerto Jimenez in February, with a reservation at Casa Bambu for 8 days. We have 3-4 extra days before checking in to our accommodation. Planning to rent a car. Any suggestions for those days? Would like to see a place that may offer something different from Capo Matapalo. We thought about driving to Drake Bay from PJ. Is that worth while, or would someplace else within a couple of hours drive be better? It’s our first time to CR, spending way too much time trying to decide where to go!
Thanks for any suggestions
Diane
Sammi says
Drake Bay would still be similar to Puerto Jimenz being in the Osa Peninsula (beach, rainforest). The towns and beaches are different but if you’re looking for something like actually different, I’d recommend the cloud forest like Monteverde, the Guanacaste coast, Caribbean or small Central Valley towns instead.
Mark says
It’s not worth taking a car to Drake unless you are going elsewhere before or after. Long stay car parking is available in sierpe & not too expensive if you want to come round by boat.
BUT, everything is mega expensive in drake, supermarkets, restaurants etc.
If you have an Air b& b it’s far far cheaper to buy stuff in Uvita or palmar norte before driving to drake, this is well worth remembering!
Box of cereal $12, tube of wasabi $12, etc & choice is limited so prices are very high, due to the logistics of getting stuff here.Its cheaper to buy costa rican bananas & avocado’s in the U.K!!
Most people only come for 3 or 4 days to do tours, then leave.
Beautiful part of Costa Rica & the virtually untouched rainforest & it’s wildlife is 10 times better than San miguel Antonio one.
Puta vida costs $$ !!
Dara Tayrien says
Hi, thanks so much for your amazing website. I was interested but a little concerned about going to Drake, but I’m more interested in the wildlife and diving so after reading your blogs we are heading to Drake for 4 nights (or more) and wondered if there is any reason to drive all the way there? We have a small 4WD vehicle. The ferry option from Sierpe seems much more interesting and faster, and our accommodation is close to town and does have parking. We will get a tour to Corcovado and a dive at Canos Islands. We are planning to bring snorkel gear to use at the local beaches. Can we use the car to drive to San Josecito? or someplace else? or is that within Corcovado so we can’t drive there? Just trying to understand our options since it is a shame to leave our rental car sitting at Sierpe if it would be useful. Maybe it was most useful if we got accommodation far from Drake (if we want to leave the accommodation)? Thanks for your advice.
Sammi says
You cannot drive to Playa San Josecito, if you plan to be going down south like around Golfito, Puerto Jimenez or other places around right after Drake so it’d make sense to have your car right away to drive there. Otherwise, your car will probably be sitting in the parking lot of your hotel in Drake during your time there too, so if you don’t care about taking the ferry, you can just drive there to save some money on the Sierpe parking but you’ll have to drive some time extra going in/out of Drake.
nathan says
Thank you SO MUCH for putting this together. We are planning to drive to Drake from Manuel Antonio in late May, and I could not hammer out this piece.
Rié says
Hello, we are going to the Osa Peninsula for a week in February and wondering if we should fly from SJO or drive? The price for 2 of us to fly is about the same as the cost of a 4×4 rental car for a week, so we were trying to decide if it’s worth taking the extra time to drive and to have a car once we get to our destination. We heard it’s 5-6 hours to drive but having read this page, wondering if it would be even longer!!!
Sammi says
I’d fly, it’s a lot faster, views are beautiful. Plus with a car, you wouldn’t use it while you’re in Drake Bay and you will have to pay for parking if your hotel doesn’t offer their own parking lot.
Rié says
Hello Sammi,
Thanks for the quick reply. Here’s another idea, what if we fly to Puerto Jimenez which is the closest airport to where we are staying and then drive back to SJO and see some places along the way. Can we do a one way rental from there to San Jose Airport?
Sammi says
Hi Rie, that is possible, we just sent you an email to assist you!
Li says
Hi is Drake Bay worth a visit if you aren’t planning long enough in advance to get a permit for Corcovado? I was thinking of a week long trip there. Worthwhile, or would another destination or two be better? Love the blog!
Sammi says
There’s definitely lots of things to do without Corcovado, most people just go to Corcovado for a day trip anyways
Elmer says
Thanks you guys all your info is very valuable it was my first time visiting Costa Rica and I watched your videos very helpful.
Planing my next visit for next year.
Sammi says
Hi Elmer, thanks for your feedback we’re glad the website is helpful!
Leah Morris says
Hi Sammi, we are driving to Drake bay tomorrow from Manuel Antonio with your directions. Has anything changed with road conditions that you are aware of?
Your blog has been extremely helpful in our trip so far. Thanks!! Leah
Sammi says
Hi Leah, we did this drive mid December, I don’t know if anything has changed since then but I would imagine no. Drive safe.